NotebookWhy A Writer Would Hate Blogging
I hate blogging.
And I love it.
But mostly I hate it.
Except for when I love it.
I've messed around with it for years. I never really committed to it. I never really tried to get better—but we'll cover that more tomorrow.
What discouraged me most about blogging was how bad most people were at it. I would read bad writing on blogs with bad design, and I would become terrified of people thinking of me what I thought of them: "What a joke. Why are they wasting their time?"
In short, I've always felt like I'm not a good blogger because I'm a perfectionist.
Or so I've long let myself believe. But I think that perfectionism is rooted in something else.
This revelation came thanks to this recent interview with Francis Coppola, in which he said:
We are very insecure. People are insecure, not just young people. Everyone is insecure. They say that Barbara Streisand, when she goes on, she has a panic attack. She feels she can’t sing. Of course, she can sing. I believe that when you write something, when I write something, I turn it over and I don’t look at it. Because I believe the writer, the young writer, has a hormone that makes them hate what they’ve written. And yet, the next morning, when you look at it, you say, “Oh that’s not bad.” But the first second you hate it.
That's me to a T. But I said to myself a long time ago that if there was one thing I refused to let stop me ever again, it was fear. Insecurity is a form of fear, and so, the only thing to do now is, of course, blog.
So I'm going to commit to blogging. And I'm going to use it as a tool for getting better.
I'll write about a lot around here, but for the sake of focus, we'll say that this blog centers around the two things I'm most passionate about:
1. Becoming a great writer, or, as it would apply to my readers, becoming a great success.
2. Living a quality life. Which means a lot of things: loving my wife, loving my life, helping others, staying in shape, understanding God ... and on the list goes. But basically, I'll be exploring things in life, things we all experience in one way or another, the big things and the small things, and trying to figure out how they impact my life. Is it for the good, or for the bad?
So in a nutshell, I find myself relentlessly seeking great stories and learning how to tell them well. Right now, the main way I tell them is through writing. Here at the blog, I explore stories I'm living and lessons I'm learning, both through my own life and through the stories of others.
So raise your glass—of beer, of wine, of Mountain Dew, of water, of whatever it is you fancy—with me to the passionate pursuit of life and success. I'm glad to have you along.
(via)
Question 1: What are you going to try to do this year that you've never tried to do before?
Question 2: What was in your glass?
Reader Comments (6)
I really like what you had to say here, Brandon. Especially about being a perfectionist. I'm trying to get to an 80% satisfaction rate, then push "Publish." That's hard for me because I don't want to publish crap. Like you, I'm learning that the more I force myself to write, the better I'll get. The challenge in that is keeping it fresh and unique and not falling into the same old patterns each time.
Glad to know there are others who think like I do about this stuff!
Thanks for stopping by, and for the comment, Jon. My problem isn't not writing enough—it's writing so much, as a "professional" writer, and then trying to develop a blog. I'm so used to having an editor or client approve my work before it gets published that going it alone feels almost wrong. Which, of course, it isn't, but I don't trust myself as much as maybe I should. I think that's because I'm so acutely aware of how much I still have to learn as a writer. I don't want to act like I have it all figured out, because I so don't.
But I'm trying to figure it out. I figure if I keep figuring long enough, I'll eventually figure out enough. If that makes any sense.
Interesting twist, Brandon. I think I might be in the opposite situation should I write a book (hopefully sometme before I die). I'm so used to doing my own thing, I'm afraid I would get defensive, discouraged, and rigid if I had an editor messing with my "stuff."
Pete Wilson (author of Plan B) preached at my church during the summer and I had a chance to hang out with him and ask him about the editing process. He said it was no big deal and not too intrusive. But he's Pete Wilson, lol.
It's definitely taken me years to get used to the editing process, and I'm in no position at this point in my career to really question anybody. There are some editors whose opinions I wholly trust, and others who I don't trust as much. It's an unbelievably finicky business, professional writing. Ultimately, I believe editors are good. You just gotta hope you're lucky enough to get the good ones, and for the most part thus far, I've been very, very fortunate.
1) This post made me think, and I liked it. Because I am kind of a writer - not like you by any means - but with poetry and such, I see that I am also a perfectionist in the sense that you said.
2) Your blog is not lame, either. Just saying. But some people might say I'm partial. But, no, You are legit.
3) I have a list of things I want to accomplish/do this year that I've never done before, including - attempt to surf; write at least one children's book/poem; complete a triathlon; visit an orphanage; and some other things.
4) Water.
Haha, hey Kara, sorry, I just saw this—thanks for that, though. You rock.